Folding table and chair combination



oct. 131;"1964 C. B. CREVELING ETAL FOLDING TABLE AND CHAIR COMBINATION Filed April s. 1962 3 Sheets--Sheetv 2 l 13g-Fiji.'

INVENTORS. CATHERINE B.CREVEL|NG BY ELMER v. PENNELL 0f 13, 1964 c. B. cREvELlNG ETAL 3,152,833

FOLDING TABLE AND CHAIR COMBINATION.

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'United States Patent O A 3,152,833 FOLDING TABLE AND CHAIR COMBINATIO Catherine B. Creveling and Elmer V. Pennell, Patterson, N.Y. Filed Apr..3, 1962, Ser. No. 184,728

7 Claims. (Cl. 297-140) The invention here disclosed relates 4'to a combination of foldable table, convertible for use either as a low coffee table or as a full height, full size dining table, with matching foldable chairs, adapted to be housed when not in use within the table structure and readily accessible and quickly removable and set up when required for use with the table.

Objects of the invention have been to provide such a combination in a truly practical desirable form and all at a reasonable cost.

Other special objects of the invention have been to provide both the table and chair structures in attractive form, desirable as such articles of furniture. l

Other objects of the invention and the novel` features of construction, combination and relation of parts through which the objects are attained are set forth and will appear in the course of the following specication.

The drawings accompanying and forming part of the specification yare illustrative ot' a present practical embodiment of the invention.

Structure however may be modified and changed as regards the immediate illustration, all within the true intent and scope of the invention as hereinafter defined and claimed.

FIG. 1 in thedrawings `is a side elevation of the table in lowered position with the leaves dropped to conceal internal parts. l

FIG. 2 is a similar view with the front leaf removed to expose operating'parts. i

FIG. 3 is a side elevation showing the table raised and the leaves lifted. v

FIG. 4 is an end elevation showing the table Vin the lowered position with the leaves dropped as in FIG. l.

FIG. 5` is .an end View similar to FIG. 4 showing the table raised and leaves lifted.

FIG. 6 is a bottom plan view of the table with parts in the lowered-position as in FIG. 2.

FIG. 7 is a broken part sectional enlarged detail illustrating particularly the slide and operating connections by which the table is locked in either the lowered or raised position.

FIG. 8 isa broken sectional detail on substantially the plane of line 8-8 of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a broken end elevation and diagrammatic view showing parts of the table raising and lowering mech- 'anism with connections for lifting and lowering one of the leaves.

FIG. 10 is an end elevation similar to FIG. 4 but show! ing how the folded chairs are stowed in supporting racks within the body of the table.

FIG. 11 is a broken sectional view on substantially the plane of line 11-11 of FIG. 10, showing how four folded chairs can be stacked within the table structure.

FIG. 12 is a side elevation lof one of the folding chairs in the set up condition.

FIG. 13 is a front elevation of the same.

FIGS. 14 and 15 are side and bottom views Vrespectively of the flat folded chair.

The table is shown as made up essentially of a top Ztl to which drop leaves 21, 22 are hinged and two pairs of aligned crossed legs 23, 24 pivoted in scissors fashion on a rod 25, FIG. 5, also utilized as a spacer between the two pairs of legs.

The upper ends of the crossed legs .are connected in 3,152,833 Patented Oct. 13, 1964 ice spaced relation by rods 26, 27 sliding in guideways 28, 29 attached to the underside of the table top. v

The pivot rod 25 slides in the vertical guideway 30 provided between the pair of spaced frames 31, 32 dependent from the table top.

The lower ends of the crossed legs may be equipped with rollers, wheels or castors 33 which, in addition to promoting mobility, facilitates spreading and collapsing movement of the legs as the table is lowered or raised.

Springs 34, 35 connected between the top rods 26, 27 and the frames 31, 32, FIGS. 2 and 3, draw the upper ends of the scissor legs together to aid in raising the table from the lower FIG. 2 position to the raised FIG. 3 position. t

The table is locked in either lowered or raised Vposition by plates 36, FIG. 7, slotted at 37 to slide over guide pins 3S on frame 32 into position above or below the cross rod 25 to hold the legs in the table lowered position, FIG. 2, or the lifted position, shown in FIG. 7.

The locking plates l36 are released by a cross bar handle 39 carried by levers 40 pivoted at 41 and pivotally connected at 42 with links 43 which in turn are pivotally connected at 44 with elbow links 45 attached to the locking plates 36 intermediate their ends and slidingly pivoted at 46 at their upper ends.

VSprings 47 attached lto links 43 normally hold these parts in the locking position shown in FIG. 7 with the lockinfy plates 36 obstructing the vertical guideway 30 and positioned either above or below the cross rod 25.

The leaves of the table are automatically swung up and down in the table lifting and lowering operations by linkage, illustratedvin FIG. 9 as comprising levers 48 pivoted at 49, carrying pads 50 at their upper outer ends slidingly engaging the undersides of the leaves and pivoted at their lower ends atl 51 to drag links 52 pivoted at 53 on This is shown in F1os. 1o and 11 which iuustrate double tiered inclined racks 54, 55 positioned to slidingly receive the folded chairs illustrated at 56.

These chairs are made up to fold into the compact flat folded relation shown in FIGS. 14, 15 by constructing them with pivotally connected crossed front and back legs 57, 58, FIG. 12 with backs 59 pivotally connected at 60 with the upper ends of the front legs 57 and seats 61 pivotally connected at 62 with the upper ends of the back legs 58 and pivoted at 70 to the lower portion of the back 59.

Yokes 63 pivoted at 64 near the upper ends of the front legs 57 serve to secure the chairs in the open or folded positions by dropping into notches 65, 66 in a bar 67 on the underside of the seat.

Springs 68 hooked over the latch bar 67 and attached to the pivotal support 69 of the yoke urge the pivotally connected chair parts into the upstanding relation shown in FIG. l2.

In the ilat folded condition shown in FIGS. 14, 15 the chairs can readily be stacked in the relation shown in FIGS. l0 and 11 concealed from View by the dropped leaves.

If desired the enclosure may be further completed by panels at the ends of the table which may be hinged to the table top and be ornamented to appear as drawers or other ornamental features.

The complete organization, the table with enclosed folded chairs and the table alone and the chairs used with the table are ornamental and attractive in appearance and entirely practical for the purposes intended.

The table is safely locked in either the lowered or raised position but can be quickly converted from a coffee table to a dining table simply by operating the release handle 39 and applying slight lifting or lowering force to the table top, the counterbalance springs 34, 35 assisting in such opera-tions.

In converting to the dining table the leaves are automatically raised, providing a table of full size.

The chair racks 54, 55 are sloped downwardly from the opposite ends of the table, thus to nest and hold the folded chairs against shifting when the table is moved from one place to another.

The table construction provides ample storage space for the flat folded chairs illustrated.

The racks for this purpose may or may not be used.

FIGS. 2 to 9 show the table without the racks and FIGS.

10 and 11 show the same table with racks installed.

Wha-t is claimed is:

l. Folding table and chair combination comprising the combination of table top having hinged drop leaves, pairs of aligned crossed legs, a pivot rod spacing the pairs of crossed legs and pivotally connecting the legs of each pair, the upper ends of opposed legs being connected in spaced relation by cross rods, guides on the 'under side of the table top slidingly receiving said cross rods for movement parallel to said table top, upright guides dependent from the table top slidingly receiving said pivot rod for movement perpendicular to said table top Whereby said legs are constrained to move in unison, a hand releasable lock for securing said pivot rod against movement in said upright guides and a rack dependent from the table top for storing chairs in folded position beneath said top and covered by said leaves in lowered position.

2. The invention according to claim 1 with means for automatically lowering the drop -leaves when the table is aligned pairs of crossed legs, a pivot rod spacing the pairs' of crossed legs and pivotally connecting the legs of each pair, upright guides dependent from the table top and slidingly receiving said rod, cross rods connecting the upper ends of the crossed legs, guides on the underside of the table top slidingly receiving said cross rods and a hand releasable lock beneath the table top for securing said pivot rod in said upright guides in position with the table top lowered as a coffee table or raised as a dining table.

5. The invention according to claim 4 in which said releasable lock comprises obstructing means normally extending into said upright guides, said `pivot rod being slidable into position above or below said obstructing means.

6. The invention according to claim 4 with racks be neath said table top and foldngchairs nested in said racks, said chairs having pivotally connected crossed front and back legs, backs pivotally connected to the upper ends of the front legs and sea-t pivotally connected to the upper ends of the-front legs and to said backs to thereby fold into flat condition for entry in said racks.

7. A table according to claim 4, further comprising: a set of wheels mounted at the lower free end portions of said legs, a pairof drop leaves hingedly connected to said References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS n Australia Nov. 10, 1948 

1. FOLDING TABLE AND CHAIR COMBINATION COMPRISING THE COMBINATION OF TABLE TOP HAVING HINGED DROP LEAVES, PAIRS OF ALIGNED CROSSED LEGS, A PIVOT ROD SPACING THE PAIRS OF CROSSED LEGS AND PIVOTALLY CONNECTING THE LEGS OF EACH PAIR, THE UPPER ENDS OF OPPOSED LEGS BEING CONNECTED IN SPACED RELATION BY CROSS RODS, GUIDES ON THE UNDER SIDE OF THE TABLE TOP SLIDINGLY RECEIVING SAID CROSS RODS FOR MOVEMENT PARALLEL TO SAID TABLE TOP, UPRIGHT GUIDES DEPENDENT FROM THE TABLE TOP SLIDINGLY RECEIVING SAID PIVOT ROD FOR MOVEMENT PERPENDICULAR TO SAID TABLE TOP WHEREBY SAID LEGS ARE CONSTRAINED TO MOVE IN UNISON, A HAND RELEASABLE LOCK FOR SECURING SAID PIVOT ROD AGAINST MOVEMENT IN SAID UPRIGHT GUIDES AND A RACK DEPENDENT FROM THE TABLE TOP FOR STORING CHAIRS IN FOLDED POSITION BENEATH SAID TOP AND COVERED BY SAID LEAVES IN LOWERED POSITION. 